


Cygnus Atratus

by Milana16



Series: That one Winged AU [3]
Category: TsukiPro the Animation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, Growth as birds, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, happy end bc yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26770120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milana16/pseuds/Milana16
Summary: Everybody knows the plot of the fairy tale- prince falls in love with white swan, but jealous black swan takes its' place and seduces the prince, killing the white one as a result.But, what if...What if the prince that black swan yearned for was the white swan all along?
Relationships: Etou Kouki/Fujimura Mamoru
Series: That one Winged AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1919191
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Cygnus Atratus

**Author's Note:**

> Back to my winged shit for birthdays, lol.  
> I literally had to look up latin name of black swan, because Cygnus nero didn't look nearly as appealing as I thought it would (also, it's probably incorrect latin). Also, did you know black swans were one of the first species observed to have monogamous and homosexual relationships?  
> Anyway, enjoy swans falling in love! And happy birthday, Mamoru!

His wings are black, and because of that, he has to stay a bit away from the rest, but it’s okay. They say he’ll hurt the White one, and Mamoru would rather live alone than have somebody else’s blood on his hands and feathers. Even if they’re black.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t see what’s going on in the herd, and that he doesn’t see the White one being born.

In all honesty, Mamoru believes the legend of the black swan killing white one to be absurd; how somebody could even think about killing something this _perfect_?

White one’s name is Kouki, he heard of it from the other water-winged occupants, and he’s beautiful. Golden hair, pale skin, bright eyes, lithe but strong body and those wings. Mamoru haven’t seen this kind of white. Kouki’s wings are whiter than the clouds on the sky, whiter than the snow in the winter, whiter than any flower he could think of, even whiter than the full moon. They seemed to shimmer with the light, not only reflected off of them, but also their own, inner one.

Which would be pretty accurate, because Etou Kouki was also beautiful inside.

He shares food with little ones. Leaves best places for the older ones. Watches Mamoru with curiosity and no fear like the other-

Wait, wait, that wasn’t supposed to happen! Kouki wasn’t supposed to even know he exists!

But yet, here they were, staring at each other from across the lake. Kouki doesn’t look surprised about his looks, or scared, or worried- he looks curious, and this freaks Mamoru out.

Because while he doesn’t believe he could ever want to kill Kouki, the beautiful, kind Kouki, he doesn’t know if being near him won’t kill Kouki by accident. So, the second White one takes a step towards the Black one, Mamoru freaks out and takes off.

His wings might be dark, but they’re sturdy, and useful. But even they cannot match Kensuke’s and when the hawk lands on him, Mamoru goes without questioning.

‘What was it about you upsetting Kou I’ve heard?’ Kensuke’s cheerful voice resounds above him as the carnivore bird lets him go to allow him to talk. Mamoru blinks.

‘Eh?’

Was Kouki upset because of him? But he ran away so that he wasn’t-

Kensuke huffs.

‘Apparently, Kouki is upset because he thinks he scared you off, but he has no idea what he did for you to react like that. So-’ Kensuke crosses his arms over his chest. ‘Care to explain before Ryo finds you and does you in before listening to your reasoning? You know he will.’

Mamoru shudders. Yeah, he knows. Ryota definitely was protective of Kouki, enough to wring neck of one measly black swan.

‘I... didn’t want to hurt him.’ he says, then proceeds to explain his reasoning to Kensuke.

It’s good he did, because the second his mouth closes, he feels shiver run up his spine and his body freezes.

‘So, you’ve upset Kouki for something as stupid as a superstition?’ speaks velvety voice from behind him, and Mamoru breaks out in a cold sweat. Although birds shouldn’t sweat, but, well, anybody would, really, if they heard Ryota speak to them in that tone... ‘You’re really dumb, aren’t you.’

‘M-maybe?’ Mamoru stammers. He remembers bright eyes shining with curiosity. ‘But I don’t want to take risks.’

‘So you’ll continue pining on from afar like you did until now?’ Kensuke hums. Mamoru stares. Pining? ‘Oh, come on! You couldn’t have not realiz- actually okay, forget I’ve said anything.’ Ken groans. ‘You water birds are hopeless.’

‘Ken.’ Ryota says with a smile, and it’s terrifying. ‘Kouki is also a water bird.’

‘I know!’ Kensuke whines. ‘And he also pines from afar, and when the guy he’s after runs off because of the dumb prophecy, he thinks it’s his fault! Even though I doubt he has done anything wrong in his life, like, ever!’

‘Last one you have right.’ Mamoru and Ryota unconsciously chorus, the former cowering under latter’s stare. Then, Ryota sighs, his grey feathers ruffling as he settles them on his back.

‘If you know it, why would you presume him approaching you is bad?’

‘It’s not his fault! But, what if my aura, or surroundings, or something, will work against him? I don’t want him to get hurt!’

The duo in front of him sigh again, but he feels he got off the hook. This time.

‘I get where the fear about Kou’s safety comes, but... don’t do stuff that will make him misunderstand, okay?’ finally, Kensuke says. ‘If you can’t approach him in fear of hurting him, find another way of communication or something? Because he is curious about you, and curious Kouki is the most dangerous Kouki. To himself, obviously.’

‘Right...’ Mamoru blinks. ‘Why is he even curious about me, though? I’m nothing interesting.’

‘Well, I agree, but you’re the only black swan in the herd, right? And it seems that caught Kouki’s attention.’ Ryota replies, before humming. ‘Oh, and I think I’ve heard him mention something about song?’

‘Oh, that.’ Mamoru says, slowly. ‘I do sing sometimes, but I don’t think it’s anything special- what?’

‘You know the term swan song?’ Ryota asks, after he and Kensuke stare at the bird in front of them for an unsettling amount of time.

‘Um, yes? I am the swan. Even if black.’ Mamoru blinks in confusion.

‘...okay, let’s leave it at it. Just, find a way to contact Kou without triggering the curse, if there’s one, alright?’

‘I’ll do my best!’

*

Before he comes up with the idea, he ends up getting into direct contact with Kouki, though.

He’s a bit away from the lake, wandering with his head in the clouds, quite literally, as he stares at one of the fluffy sky creations, changing shapes constantly. Then, something even whiter shows in front of the cloud, and Mamoru smiles- Kouki was enjoying the late autumn sun, as well.

Then, he notices something is wrong with other avian, but before he can risk a guess, long and dark shape shoots towards the other swan, and Kouki goes down.

Mamoru doesn’t realize he’s running until his wings don’t open and start hooking on the low bushes, but it really doesn’t matter, not when Kouki, beautiful Kouki, the White Swan, got hunted down, got hurt.

He gets to where Kouki fell in record time, losing his own feathers everywhere. White is stained with red, and Kouki has a confused and slightly pained expression on his face, eyes closed, but he breathes, and Mamoru feels like he also can breathe again.

His relief lasts only for a short while.

Suddenly, he can feel the earth shudder under the hooves of the horses and calls -human calls- nearing them. He looks around desperately - he wouldn’t be able to carry Kouki away from there without possibly hurting him more than he already was... not to mention, if the ones charging were the hunters, there was no way they wouldn’t shoot him down, black feathers are even more visible on the bright sky-

He abruptly looks around himself once more. Kouki landed on a soft grass, he could still see small indent in the greenery, then tumbled to where Mamoru has found him, near the old shrubbery growing just next to the upturned boulders, ground beneath dark and stony. Dark...

The sound of the horses is even louder and Mamoru takes a split-second decision; he gathers Kouki gently into his arms, and even more gently moves his - _beautiful, bright_ \- wings and feathers closer together. Kouki squirms at the touch- their wings were sensitive, after all- but Mamoru just mumbles small apologies, before spreading his own wings, covering the brightness with his darkness, making them melt with the dark shrubbery and stone, just as he can hear the horses finally making their way through the thick bushes (he gives a short prayer of thanks to the greenery surrounding the clearing, for holding them back for as long as they did).

His heart beats a million times per minute, but he stays frozen on the ground, covering all of Kouki with his own body, and listens as the hunters rummage the clearing. He can hear them find the arrow that dislodged itself from Kouki’s wing (that’s where the red came from...), and can hear the hunters pick fun at one of them for not incapacitating his target properly. Teased hunter grumbles, a bit too close for Mamoru’s comfort, and kicks at the ground, sending stones onto his wings. He grimaces softly, but stays unmoving even then.

Soon the hunters spot the white stone, and worriedly call for their companion to go back, for they crossed the threshold of the Izumi domain, and if they were to be found by said lord’s people, hunting on his terrain...

Mamoru doesn’t move until he can no longer feel the tremors going through the earth under horses’ hooves. Only then he relaxes, sighs, and looks down. Then, promptly freezes, as clear blue eyes answer his stare.

Kouki smiles at him.

‘Do you think they’re gone now?’ he asks, and Mamoru can only nod, completely stunned. ‘Then... do you think you can help me up?’

‘Eh? Ah, uh, yes!’

Mamoru suddenly is very aware of the fact their wings are really close, and that he hugs Kouki really tight. The White one doesn’t seem to mind, though...?

Their feathers brush as they stand up, and both Kouki and Mamoru freeze at the unknown sensation, before Mamoru hesitatingly asks.

‘How... is your wing?’

In answer, Kouki opens the appendage, and frowns slightly in pain. The tip of the wing was stained red, and while it seemed the arrow got dislodged after digging in too shallow, and resulting wound wasn't too serious, it still hurt.

Mamoru’s heart aches with it.

‘I... think I have... herbs that could help?’ he says, before realizing that it would mean spending more time in close proximity to him, and that was a bad idea if he wanted to protect Kouki-

‘Won’t... I be a bother?’

Oh no... in any other form, Mamoru perhaps could’ve retraced his offer, excused himself after returning Kouki to the lake where other swans could fawn freely over him, no risk of cursing or anything, but...

‘You’re never a bother, Kouki-kun.’

Because he wasn't. He was the White one, the beautiful, graceful, perfect being, that even Mamoru could tell was special in all the best ways.

‘You know my name?’ Kouki blinks. ‘But... I don’t know yours.’

‘Ah, right. Mamoru. I’m Mamoru.’

‘Mamoru...’ his name, normal name, casual, sounds like some kind of charm spoken in that voice, and Mamoru is instantly bewitched. Then, Kouki smiles. ‘The protecting one. Fitting for you.’

And, he realizes, it’s true.

He wants it to be true.

*

He’s used to treating his own wounds and scrapes, but treating those beautiful, bright, delicate yet strong wings is something completely different.

Although the wound is shallow, Mamoru still cleans it and uses much more herbs than he would if it was on his wings, the shallow cave near their lake their cover in case of hunters deciding to return. Then again, Kouki still seems slightly dazed from his fall, but at the same time, happy with something. When Mamoru points it out, he smiles.

‘I’m finally talking with you.’

Ah. Right. That thing Ken-kun and Ryo-kun warned him about. Kouki being stubborn to the point of being dangerous for himself. That the thing he was currently fixated on was Mamoru himself.

It’s a dangerous territory, so he changes topic.

‘I-I wonder what those hunters were there for...’

He knew people hunted for food, saw them set up traps and so on, but those didn’t seem like they were struggling with meals...

Kouki hums.

‘I think they were just playing.’ he finally says, as if that play didn’t cost him a wing. ‘They were talking about prince winning their hunt- Mamoru?’

‘One of them was a prince?’ he asks shakily. He takes a step, then next, away from Kouki, words of the story swimming in his head.

The prince finds and falls in love with the White one. The jealous Black one hurts the White one. Separates the prince and the White one.

Didn’t that just happen? Didn’t he just hurt Kouki, the way the story spoke of-?

He stops, as a hand grasps at his sleeve, and he simultaneously wakes up from his panic, to blue eyes staring pleadingly, even as a tinge of pain still swims in them.

‘Don’t run from me, this time.’ Kouki pleads, voice soft, slightly breathless from abrupt movement and jostling of his hurt wing. ‘I won’t hurt you, I promise.’

Mamoru blinks.

Hurt him?

It’s true some white swans threw stones at him, back when they all were younger, and Mamoru was the only one whose feathers darkened instead of brightening, but. He’d never even though about Kouki from that perspective? And not only because he was pretty positive Kouki wouldn’t hurt a fly, if he could afford avoiding it. Actually...

‘It’s the opposite, Kouki-kun.’ he says softly, but makes a step forward, to make the other swan’s body relax into less painful position. ‘I’m the one who hurt you.’

‘What?’ Kouki blinks. Then he looks at his wing. Even well washed and preserved, the bandage is grey against the white of his feathers. ‘But, you’ve treated me?’

‘I...’ Mamoru stares. Was it possible that... nobody told Kouki? The story of the Black one and the White one?

Kouki returns his stare with confused one of his own.

Was it for real?

The one most affected by the story... didn’t know it?

He couldn’t have that. Not if he wanted Kouki to understand... understand that being with him is dangerous.

Ignoring the painful squeeze of his heart, he opens his mouth and lets the story flow between them, explain their roles, to the Beloved White One, from the Scornful Black one.

Kouki tilts his head, once he finishes, and the gesture is so simple, yet so endearing, Mamoru feels another painful squeeze in his chest.

‘But our story is different?’ he says, and Mamoru needs a minute to register what it actually means. ‘After all, you saved me? And the prince, whoever it was, hurt me.’

He shifts, and experimentally closes his wings, then winces as the injured tip is jostled.

‘It definitely hurts.’ he says softly, not as a form of complaint, but a confirmation of the fact. Despite that, Mamoru jumps up.

‘I should have something that could numb it... if you want?’ he looks at the other, and Kouki smiles at him.

‘How can you hurt anybody, with an attitude like that?’ he asks, instead of answering the question, and Mamoru flushes bright red, prompting a chuckle in return.

‘While I agree,’ says a new voice from the entrance to the cave, and Mamoru spins around. ‘I also think it would be good to inform rest of your herd about your whereabouts, Kou.’

Kensuke ducks his head while entering the cave, wings pressed tightly to his back.

‘Ken.’ Kouki greets. ‘Sorry, I just... I had a lot on my plate, and then I finally talked with Mamoru, and-’

‘I can see you had a lot on your plate.’ Kensuke pointedly looks at his bandaged wing. ‘And I can see you’ve finally got to Mamoru, for better or worse.’

‘That’s...’

‘Definitely better.’ Kouki interrupts Mamoru with conviction, trying to stand up. ‘But, you’re right, I should get back to everyone and reassure them-’

His center of balance is thrown off by a strangely folded wing, and Kouki tilts dangerously. Kensuke lunges, but Mamoru is quicker, and within seconds, Kouki has black wings gently spread over his back, and arms helping him stabilize himself in front.

‘Well, aren’t you close.’ Kensuke notes with a grin, noticing white and black wings brushing against each other, no sign of discomfort whatsoever. ‘Anyway, no rush, Kou. Ryota is chewing out your herd for not being careful when we already told you humans' hunting season is well underway.’

‘I hope he doesn’t go too hard on them.’ Kouki sounds slightly concerned. ‘It’s hard to remember there are hunters among them when the only one we know is that druid from the other side of the forest.'

‘Ah, Eichi-kun?’ Mamoru speaks up. When other two avians look at him in surprise, he gets slightly flustered. ‘He takes care of the two chicks that have wings the same color as mine, so we sometimes talked - from a safe distance, obviously. He needed to know about us to help them.’

‘And so, you took it onto yourself.’ Kouki smiles. ‘You really are too kind.’

‘I... I don’t want to hear that from you.’

Only, he did. Really really did.

Kensuke seems to know it, because he snorts a short laugh.

‘Kou, stay here, I’ll go and inform your herd you’re safe, and save them from Ryo while I am at it.’ he says, turning away from them. ‘You should use that time to talk with Mamoru, since god knows when will you manage to catch this jitterbug again, knowing the legend.’

‘Ken.’ Kouki stops him. ‘Do you... believe that story? Because I don’t.’

And Mamoru’s heart grows with that little confession, even as Kensuke hums.

‘I don’t really know, neither I care. To me, you’re not the White one and the Black one, you’re Kouki and Mamoru, after all!’ with that, hawk takes off, his wings momentarily covering all of the light coming from the entrance of the cave.

‘There he goes...’ unconsciously mutters Mamoru, before carefully lowering Kouki back to a sitting position. ‘Kouki-kun-’

‘Just Kou.’

‘Excuse me?’ Mamoru blinks, but Kouki doesn’t stop smiling.

‘Just Kou. I call you Mamoru, too.’

‘...then, Kou-kun.’ Mamoru relents, aware that he most likely won’t be able to win against Kouki. ‘If you need something, just tell me? I can get it for you, not that there is much here...’

‘It’s okay.’ Kouki shakes his head. ‘Because all I wanted is in front of me.’

Mamoru looks in front of Kouki, in the space between them. Then, the words register, and he points his finger at himself, making Kouki chuckle while nodding.

‘That’s right. I always wanted to talk to you, remember? I’ve said it previously.’

Ignoring the flutter of his heart, Mamoru nods and sits down in front of the- not White one, but Kouki, just Kou-kun.

‘What did you want to talk about?'

And Kouki’s eyes shine, brighter than the white wings ever could.

‘How do you make your song?’

*

After few days, the White one returns to his herd, and gets fawned over by the other swans. He also gets updated on the events, that the hunter party has met one of the swan ladies, and one human and her instantly fell in love, and she went with him. Some mention that they were hoping for this fate to befall Kouki, that he deserved to meet the prince and be forever adored by him (he smiles wryly at that, tip of his wing itching). They then whisper about hoping the swan chosen instead won’t be disturbed by the fearful, the Black one, all of the avians shifting and looking behind their backs. They almost jump up when the White one, in a full voice, speaks up.

‘It’s alright. The Black one won’t do anything to her. Has no reason to.’

They don’t really understand that, but. The White one has never been wrong in his life. They trust him, his light, his purity.

Even when he starts to be seen flying together with the shadow-winged friend, even when he sneaks away from the lake to sing with a voice that would not end with just one song, they trust in him, and slowly, the tale changes.

The White one is still the Beloved one, but the Black one stops being scornful. He changes to shy, to secretive, to mysterious. And then to the Loving one.

There’s no prince the two swans need to compete over, because with time, they become princes to each other. There’s no death, but there still are songs, swan songs.

But they do not end, they continue, like the flutter of the wings, of hearts beating together. Like the turns of night and day, of sun and the moon.

Like the soft kiss that Kouki initiates one day, and although this one ends, its’ end is just a beginning to many more.

'Disgusting.' albino falcon says, still overseeing the couple that will not separate, now that they finally found a way to be joined together.

'Leave them be, Ryo.' hawk sitting on the same perch, overlooking the same sight, grins at his friend. 'I've told you water birds are hopeless.'

**Author's Note:**

> Growth might be the only unit where I went like 'All. All of them need wings.' and then wrote them as such without smallest problems, tbh (although I had the briefest idea about prince Kensuke loving hunts with his pesky albino falcon Ryota, but. Yeah. Also, Ryota being a heron that looks over swans, but well, he ended up being albino hunting bird).  
> Did I have to add reference to Corvi Magna? No.  
> Did I do it anyway? Why, yes!  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
